Rolling right down the central Plains’ noted Lincoln Highway (US-30), this previously tornadic supercell had taken a long break from any serious attempts at more tornado action. Then it produced a brief, faint “landspout” (nonmesocyclonic tornado) away from the main updraft area, followed by this low-hanging, fairly strongly rotating wall cloud. The problem? This reorganization was occurring right as the storm was moving into the southern side of Grand Island, the largest city in the area, and we were afraid it would spin up a well-organized tornado right in town. A series of evening tornadoes devastated Grand Island 29 years before, and they didn’t need any more of that! Fortunately rotation got weaker and elongated as the storm proceeded into town, where sirens wailed under a tornado warning that (thankfully) failed to verify for them. The long-lasting supercell wouldn’t become tornadic again until well to the east, again in rural areas.
6 SSW Grand Island NE (17 Jun 9) Looking NW
40.8375, -98.3791